


Better Safe Than Sorry

by LiterallyThePresident



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Angst, Artifact starts driving Ezra insane, Ezra trapped on a ship with an evil artifact, Horror, Kanan listens helplessly, So basically, inspired by dead space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-09 15:48:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5545820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyThePresident/pseuds/LiterallyThePresident
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ghost responds to a distress signal from a derelict ship floating in space. They send Ezra to investigate, not knowing the danger lying in wait. Ezra's comm breaks, and the crew is forced to listen helplessly as the evil aboard the ship starts to drive Ezra insane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Distress Signal

"The distress signal is coming from that ship ahead" Hera steered the _Ghost_ forward, slowing on their approach to the derelict transport ship. "I'm looking at reports and it says here that the _Scholar Ling_ was supposed to arrive on Alderaan two weeks ago.

"Well, that's usually a good sign!" Ezra exclaimed with false cheer. Hera smirked.

"I'm glad you think so, 'cause you're the one investigating." Ezra's face dropped. He opened his mouth to protest, but a single look from Hera silenced him. Kanan took pity on him.

"The door is sealed, the only way in is through the vents, and the only one of us small enough to traverse vents is you." Ezra supposed it made sense. Kanan slapped him on the back, masking his own apprehension about sending Ezra to roam the wayward ship alone.

"Our scanners show no life forms aboard, and we'll be within comm range the entire time. You'll be fine." Hera said reasuringly.

Kanan had a bad feeling about this.

 

Ten minutes later, Ezra was aboard the _Scholar Ling_.

"Do you see anything?" Kanan asked through the comm.

" _Everything's quiet, I don't sense anyone around._ " Ezra's voice returned. There was the sound of a door opening, and then:

" _Oh my-_ "

"Ezra? What's wrong?"

 _"B-Blood, lots of blood. And bodies. It's-there's-Force there's so much_!" Ezra's voice was muffled, he was probably covering his nose. " _Kanan, there are innards stuck to the wall, like-like someone threw them! I think I'm gonna be-oh Force one touched me!_ " Kanan clenched his fists, the situation had just gotten worse.

"Ezra, maybe you should come back." Sabine said uncertainly. "Whatever did that could still be there."

" _No, these bodies are old and decaying_." Ezra breathed, recovering from the shock. " _They've been here for weeks. And besides, I'm curious now_." That kid really worried him sometimes.

 

For a while, there was quiet. The crew anxiously listening for any sign of change. Then, Ezra's voice crackled over the comm, he sounded distressed.

" _Kanan, something is wrong here. Something is very wrong._ "

"What is it?"

" _I just heard my dad's voice._ " Kanan's blood ran cold. Ezra's voice was shaking and Kanan didn't blame him one bit.

"What do you mean your dad?" Zeb demanded "Your dad is-"

" _Dead, I know. But I swear to you I just heard him. He whispered something to me, I couldn't hear what he said but it was definitely his voice. Something isn't right._ " Kanan agreed, he was beginning to feel a sort of buzzing in the back of his mind. He knew it was coming from Ezra and it worried him, he'd never felt anything like it.

The comm sprang to life again.

" _What? Kanan? Hello, Kanan? What does that even mean? Hello?_ " Kanan scrambled to answer.

"Ezra? What happened?"

" _What did you mean just now? You just appeared on the cockpits view screens for a second, how'd you do that?_ " Kanan felt unease rise up in him. " _You said 'Better safe than sorry'. What does that mean?_ " Kanan's unease was increasing with every moment.

"Ezra I didn't say anything."

" _But I heard you! You were on the view screens!_ "

"Ezra I swear to you I didn't say anything." Kanan insisted. Ezra sounded lost.

" _I-I heard you..._ " He trailed off. Kanan was about ready to order Ezra to come back, something clearly wasn't right about this. The buzzing in the Force bond was getting louder, Kanan found himself gritting his teeth. Five more minutes passed, and suddenly Ezra's voice burst over the comm again, he was yelling.

" _Kanan, are you hearing this? Kanan? Kanan_!" Kanan tried to answer, but Ezra was shouting too loud to hear. " _What the-? Stop it!_ Stop it!" Ezra screamed, and then there was quiet.

"Ezra! Blast it, what's happening!?"

" _It's...there was...the walls...nothing_." Ezra replied shakily, " _It was nothing. Don't worry about it._ " Kanan was worrying about it. So was everyone else if their expressions were anything to go by.

Ten minutes passed, Ezra started humming. It was a slow, unfamiliar melody that none of them had ever heard before.

"Ezra?" Sabine asked tentatively.

" _Yeah?_ "

"What song is that?"

" _...I don't know. It just sorta came to me._ " Sabine looked disturbed. Kanan's fists clenched, the desire to storm that ship and retrieve his Padawan himself nearly overtaking him.

" _I found something!_ " Ezra exclaimed, interrupting his thoughts. There was a moment of silence as Ezra examined what he had found. After a beat, Ezra's voice came again, sounding incredibly disturbed.

" _I think I'm starting to understand what's happening here_." he said, his tone implying he wished he didn't. Everyone perked up, listening intently.

" _I just found a holovid from one of the passengers. Here, I'll transmit it to you._ " The holo appeared on their table. An exhausted-looking woman in overalls who seemed to avoid looking into the recorder. She spoke, her voice hoarse and defeated.

 

" _My name is Delilah Herem. I was...am a mechanic on the_ Scholar Ling. _I may be the only one left. The ship isn't safe, if you come across it you must destroy it immediately! The crew has lost their minds, most of them are already dead. We picked up an artifact on Anaxes a few days ago. We figured we'd take it back to Alderaan, for study._ " The woman paused, taking a deep breath. " _But we had no idea of it's nature. The artifact emits some kind of signal, it causes a form of madness. Within hours, the people on board started seeing things, hearing things. Then they started getting violent, they weren't in their right minds. They would whisper and scream and attack each other or themselves. Good people I had been joking with only days before._ " Delilah looked sick.

 _"I saw Aaron...ripping his own stomach open, pulling out his..._ " Delilah's voice had begun to shake. " _He was screaming...crying...but he kept screaming 'Better safe than sorry', they all said that._ " Delilah looked up, bloodshot eyes seemed to stare directly at Kanan " _Please, I'm not going to survive. I can feel it in my head. it wants my blood, my bone, and my flesh. I can hear mother singing to me, just like she did when she was alive! It won't stop, won't stop!_ " She gripped her head, seeming to blink away a fog. " _Destroy the_ Scholar Ling. _Destroy the artifact_." Delilah picked up a previously unseen blaster, shaking hands placing it under her chin. " _Maria, if you're hearing this, I'm so sorry, my darling. I love you so much!_ " Hera turned away as Delilah pulled the trigger, Kanan did not. The holovid ended, and silence permeated the room. Ezra was the one to break it, his voice subdued.

" _Am I losing my mind? Like the ship's passengers did? Is that why I've been seeing things?_ " Kanan was quick to assure him that no, he wouldn't lose his mind. Kanan wouldn't allow it. He turned to Hera, worry making his voice sharper than he intended,

"I want him off that ship and back here with us!" Hera recovered herself, looking to Kanan with worried eyes.

"We can't, Kanan." She said regretfully, "The vents were the only way in. I sent Chopper to start cutting through the door a while ago but it's going to take time." Kanan gritted his teeth.

"How much time? Ezra's already seeing things! We can't afford to wait!"

"You think I don't want him safe as well?" Hera snapped, "We all do, Kanan. But panic and irrationality won't help matters. We have to-" Ezra's voice interrupted.

" _Kanan, where are you?_ " Kanan and Hera exchanged confused glances, he replied.

"I'm on the _Ghost_ with everyone else, why?" 

  
" _I just saw you at the end of the hallway_ " Ezra said, causing everyone to snap to attention. " _You smiled at me, you waved. I got scared, Kanan. I turned and went the other way and when I looked behind me you were gone. It was so real, the only reason I doubted it was you is because I know you're on the_ Gho-" A sharp intake of breath, and then:

" _Get away from me! Leave me alone!_ " There was scuffling, the sounds of an activated lightsaber, a loud crackling noise, and then it was quiet on Ezra's end. Kanan, worried beyond belief, shouted into the comm.

"Ezra! Ezra, can you hear me? Ezra!"

" _Kanan, come in. Kanan? Kanan? Hera? Sabine? Anyone, hello?_ "

"Ezra! We're here!"

" _Karabast! Comm's dead. Guess I'm on my own. Again._ " Kanan yelled and tried to raise Ezra even though he knew it was pointless. They could hear Ezra, but he couldn't hear them. He slammed his fist on the table, fighting back frustration as his Padawan continued to explore the cursed ship, believing himself to be alone.

" _I wish the rain would stop._ " Ezra grumbled.


	2. Machla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra listens to the rain

It was raining outside. Ezra could hear it, the rain pounding on the hull of the ship. It made a nice song alongside the whispering.

"It's so cold" Delilah Herem whispered, like she had been for hours.

His Master smiled at him from the doorway ( _always a doorway_ ), holding a hand out invitingly, Ezra ignored him. He focused instead on the static just under his skin, clawing futilely at his arms once again trying to get it out get it _out get it out_! The blood he drew was red, for some reason Ezra found this wonderful.

"You shouldn't bleed like that." Kanan whispered angrily from behind him. Ezra turned to face him. Kanan smiled again, blood trailing from his eyeless sockets, the orange lights within them flickering like stars.

"You're one to talk. Can you even see?"

Was this actually Kanan? Was it another hallucination? His question was answered when Kanan suddenly leapt at him, lightsaber plunging towards his eyes. Ezra caught it by the handle, struggling against Kanan's weight. Kanan screamed at him, eyeless lights shining and featureless mouth opened unnaturally wide. _Better safe than sorry_!

And then Kanan was gone, and Ezra was holding his own lightsaber to his eye, struggling against and enemy that wasn't there. Was never there? He didn't know. He flung the weapon away from his face, looking around. Kanan had vanished, no trace of their fight existed.

Not real then. His dad's voice whispered from the walls, Lothali vowels swelling under his skin, adding to the annoying static. Ezra absently retrieved his lightsaber, setting off towards the next bloodstained room with the rain pounding the hull of the ship and the dim orange light flickering in the corner of his eye.

He found Zeb in the next room, in two pieces. The left half of his body was sprawled colorlessly on the cold metal floor. the right side was on the other side of the room, as though it had been flung there. Ezra noticed a disturbing detail in the wounds running the length of Zeb's body. Lightsaber burns. Zeb had been killed with a lightsaber.

Not possible. There was no one on board except him...

Had he done this? Ezra recoiled violently from the very thought, panicking. He felt like the walls were closing in, the static buzzed violently inside of him, and the rain sounded like it wanted to break through the hull. He had to leave, had to run, had to get away from Zeb's wrecked body.

Vents. Vents were safe. Ezra's eyes darted around frantically until they alighted on the nearest vent. He darted to it, wrenching the cover off and scrambling inside.

"I'm fine." He curled up against the wall, trying to reassure himself. "This is fine. None of it is real anyway."

"That's what they all said." came a voice next to him. Ezra jumped.

A girl. A girl his age hiding in the vents just like him. She was curled up next to him, blocking the exit.

"I'm Machla. Why are you here? How'd you get here?" Ezra blinked, and responded slowly, wary of a trick.

"My name is Ezra." Saying that made him feel better. He said it again. "My name is Ezra. What are you doing in here? Why didn't you go crazy like the others?" The girl, Machla, shrugged.

"I don't know. I just... didn't. My mom did, though. She tried to kill me." Machla looked at the floor, avoiding Ezra's gaze. "She tried to rip my tongue out. I had to kill her, I had no choice." Ezra nodded understandingly. They sat in silence for a few minuted. Ezra heard Kanan shrieking somewhere in the ship.

"I don't want to go back out there." He murmured. It was warm in here. Clean. Quiet.

"Well I don't wanna stay in here. I've been hiding in here too long. Time to get out." Machla began crawling toward the vent's opening. Ezra gripped her arm, leaving a bloody print.

"If we go out there, the whispering will start again." It hadn't truly stopped, just subsided.

"And what if there's something worse than voices in here?" Machla shot back, "Better safe than sorry." She exited the vents. Ezra hesitated, and then followed.

They wandered. Machla chattered to him about her house, her brother, her pets. It was a welcome change from the whsipering and the rain. Machla talked a lot, she was probably relieved to be able to speak to someone after weeks of solitude. Ezra in turn told her about Kanan, his parents, his beautiful homeworld, his handsome friend Zare, anything that came to mind. She seemed to enjoy listening to him, and Ezra found he couldn't remember why he had been so upset, why he had fled to the vents in the first place.

"Hey Machla?"

"Yeah?"

"When we get out of here, maybe you could join my crew. The Rebels always need new agents, and it'd be nice to have a friend." Machla seemed lost for words, a smile was forming on her face.

"That sounds awesome!"

They turned a corner, and Ezra gasped, stopping in his tracks.

Machla's mangled corpse stared up at him, her face a twisted expression of absolute horror. By her state of decomposition and the fact that her entire lower jaw was missing it was very clear to Ezra that she had been dead for a while.

Ezra stood there, staring down at her. He looked up at the girl he'd been talking to, the girl who had made him forget his fear, the girl whose jaw was now missing, ligaments dangling and blood spilling down her exposed throat. He couldn't help it, he started laughing, hysterical laughter that bubbled past his lips and left him gasping for breath in between. _Machla can't chatter anymore_. He doubled over, gasping uncontrollably as the maddened giggles slowly subsided. Machla glared at him, arms crossed and eyes flickering orange. Just like Kanan. How had he not seen it?

It didn't matter, he decided, none of it did. He turned his back on her, the dead couldn't help him now. He had to keep moving, although he couldn't remember why. _Better safe than sorry_ , Machla whispered mockingly, her voice a wet distorted gurgle.

Ezra absently dug his nails into his arm, more blood dribbled down his fingers.

It was raining outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. Here's Ezra point of view, as promised! I hope you like it.


	3. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghost crew waits for their chance to rescue Ezra.

" _Shut up, Machla! Just stop talking!_ "

It had been six hours, and Ezra's mental state was deteriorating. The crew was forced to listen helplessly as Ezra shouted at his father, Kanan, Zeb, Delilah, and whoever else his strained mind was conjuring up, wishing they could be there to help him fight through the hallucinations. It was awful when Ezra muttered nonsense, but the worst was when Ezra screamed wordlessly, as though in pain. Or when he giggled, which was almost as terrifying.

Kanan returned from his strategy meeting with Hera (All we can do is wait, dear. I don't like it any more than you.) to find Sabine staring fixedly at the table. Ezra's slow whispering seemed to fill the room

_"Better safe than sorry, better safe than sorry, better safe than sorry..."_

"He's been repeating that for the past three minutes. I'm not sure he even realizes he's doing it." Sabine didn't look up, her face was pale. "We're going to get him back, right? And he'll be okay?" It wasn't often Sabine showed uncertainty like this. Kanan found himself lost for words, not knowing what to say to reassure her when he was losing his mind with worry himself. He settled for placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. From the look on her face, he had failed miserably. 

_"You're saying nothing! The whispers and the rain, none of it matters! Round and around, please God make me a stone."_

Kanan turned, leaving the room. Zeb paced back and forth in the hallway, ears flat against his head.

"We shoulda' never sent him on that kriffin' ship." He snarled. His face was tense with worry for Ezra, a worry Kanan knew all too well. He placed a reassuring hand on Zeb's arm.

"We'll get him back." He assured. "And when we do, he is not leaving my sight." Zeb smiled slightly, but it quickly fell.

"It's driving me crazier than the kit, just sitting here doing nothing!" Kanan nodded, understanding.

"Kanan" Hera called. "Chopper's through, we can enter the _Scholar Ling_." Kanan just barely stopped himself from groaning in relief. He turned and set off toward the airlock, giving Zeb a quick pat on the arm. He strode past Hera and Chopper, lightsaber in hand.

"Kanan." Hera called. Kanan stopped, turning toward her impatiently.

"Get our boy back." She said, turning back to her datapad. Kanan smiled wanly, turning back towards the entrance.

He would get their boy back. And their boy would not leave the _Ghost_ for a very long time.

Kanan stood at the entrance of the _Scholar Ling_ , determined to rescue his Padawan from whatever nightmare the artifact had made for him. Chopper stood resolutely by the opening he had created, gesturing imperiously into the ship.

 _Hurry up and get going_. Kanan obeyed, entering the _Scholar Ling_ with an apprehension matched only by his determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short but I have been trying to write this for two weeks now and I kinda gave up. The next chapter will be awesome though.


	4. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan enters the Scholar Ling, determined to find his Padawan.

Everything was just as Ezra had said, blood and flesh littered the area and the smell was overpowering. Kanan slowly made his way into the ship, mindful of where he stepped, seeking his Padawan through the bond.

The air felt wrong here, every nerve he had was on edge. Kanan made his way through the ship cautiously, eyes scanning every shadow, every vent for a sign of his wayward Padawan.

The staticky feeling surrounding Ezra's mind was nearly overwhelming. He could still feel Ezra, but his mind was distorted, warped, like a holovid being jammed.

A gentle whisper reached his ears, his name. He turned toward the source, and felt shock wrench through him like a punch in the gut.

Master Billaba stood in the doorway, grinning at him. Kanan opened his mouth to speak, to ask her what she was doing here, how she had survived. To tell her how much he had missed her. Then he remembered where he was, what was really going on. He shuddered, turning away, realizing what Ezra had been going through. He looked back at the doorway, Master Billaba had vanished. But in the room beyond, Ezra had appeared.

Kanan's relief was short lived. Ezra looked awful. His hair was messy, like he'd been running his hands through it nonstop. There were wounds all over his arms, like Ezra had been clawing at his skin. He was pale, pronounced shadows under his eyes, and the look on his face was one of wild focus. He was standing in the middle of a group of bodies, staring wordlessly at the brutalized corpse of what was once a doctor.

"Ezra?" Kanan started cautiously. Ezra didn't even look at him, focused on the body.

"Ezra."

"Shhhhh." Ezra hushed, placing a finger on his lips. "Can't you see we're having a conversation?" Ezra's eyes strayed up to him, and then focused, narrowing.

"You again." He snarled venomously "You ruin everything! Leave me alone! Take your whispers, your blood, and your flickering lights and just go away!" Ezra activated his lightsaber, pointing it at his stricken Master.

"Ezra, it's me. It's... It's Kanan." Kanan said slowly, his voice breaking a little, arms at his sides to be as nonthreatening as possible. "It's your Kanan."

"No you're not! You're not! I fell for that last time but I won't fall for it again!" Ezra lunged at him, his face twisted in fury. Kanan blocked easily, Ezra wasn't exactly at his best right now. Kanan easily pushed him back. Kanan tried to speak, to reason with Ezra, but found Ezra wasn't looking at him anymore. He was gazing down at his lightsaber with a look of revelation.

"Of course." He breathed. "The answer was so obvious. The light will free them."

"...Ezra?" Kanan tried, but his Padawan ignored him.

"Better safe..."

He brought the saber to his throat.

"...than sorry." He made to draw the blade across his throat.

_"No!"_

Kanan threw out his hand, and Ezra's hands were held in place. The lightsaber's blade was still uncomfortably close to Ezra's neck, and Ezra was doing all he could to bring it closer. Only Kanan's desperate will was stopping Ezra from slitting his own throat.

"No!" Ezra wailed, "No! Stop it, Kanan! You don't understand!" Kanan wrenched the weapon out of Ezra's grip.

"Why do you keep finding me?" Ezra snarled furiously, "Why can't you let me go!?"

_Never_

Kanan physically wrestled the saber from Ezra's grasp, pushing his struggling Padawan to the bloodstained floor.

"You are going to sleep." Kanan said, waving a hand in front of Ezra's face.

"I... am going to sleep." Ezra replied, going limp. Kanan held his shoulders a moment longer to make sure he was asleep, reveling in the knowledge that his Padawan was once again safely within arms reach.

Master Billaba's voice whispered in his ear, telling him to run. Kanan shuddered, sensing the artifact's malicious presence. He stood up, his precious burden held securely in his arms (weighing almost nothing), and determinedly set off towards the _Ghost_ , ignoring the gory walls surrounding him and the buzzing starting to tingle in his skin.

His Master reached for him, Kanan resolutely ignored her.

\---

"I want that blasted ship obliterated!" Kanan snapped as he passed the others gathered anxiously at the door.

Kanan carried Ezra into the medbay, depositing him gently on the bed and, to everyone's surprise, fastening the restraints around his wrists and ankles.

"Everyone on that ship was driven to kill themselves and each other." Kanan justified, "Ezra was exposed to the thing that caused it for a whole day. He's already hurt himself badly, this is for his own protection." Kanan couldn't bring himself to tell them about Ezra's suicide attempt, not yet.

"He hurt himself?" Sabine whispered, looking in horror at the gouges in Ezra's arms. Zeb made a growling sound in the back of his throat, he probably didn't realize he was doing it. Sabine placed a comforting hand on his arm, Kanan didn't know if she was trying to comfort him or herself. A pained noise from the bed instantly drew everyone's attention.

Ezra was awake.

He blinked, bleary eyes not really registering where he was. Kanan gently took Ezra's hand, trying to coax him back to consciousness. Ezra's eyes snapped open, fearfully looking at his surroundings. He was scared, that much was clear. That fear that Kanan wanted nothing more than to destroy only intensified when his eyes alighted on his worried Master.

"Kanan" Ezra strained against the restraints, Kanan placed a hand on his shoulder. "The cracks are showing, the memories seeping in. But it can't have me! If you just gave me my lightsaber I could make sure it can't have me, or any of you. Better safe than sorry, don't you see? If I die, I'll be useless to it. That's what Delilah and Machla told me." Seeing Kanan wasn't budging, Ezra painfully turned his head towards Zeb.

"Zeb, could you please cut my throat? Kanan's being unreasonable."

Hera brought a hand to her mouth in shock. Zeb looked like he'd been punched in the gut. Sabine abruptly turned and bolted out of the room, a look of furious grief on her face. There went Kanan's plans of not letting them know.

"Kit..." Zeb whispered hoarsely.

Chopper planted himself firmly at Ezra's bedside, whomping angrily at him. Ezra's eyes never left Zeb's stricken face.

"They'll never find my body," Ezra whispered, "Never say goodbye."

The _Scholar Ling_ exploded, Sabine's work no doubt. The fantastic noise was drowned out only by Ezra's scream. The artifact's destruction must have an effect on those under it's power. Kanan felt a twisted satisfaction in knowing that thing that harmed his Padawan was gone forever. Ezra abruptly stopped screaming, gazing foggily at Kanan as the sedatives started to work.

"Let me fester... let me _rot_... better safe... Kanan...?" Ezra trailed off as the sedatives Kanan had given him began to take effect. The crew gazed at their youngest Spectre with pained eyes. Ezra's words rang in Kanan's ears, and he tightened his grip in Ezra's hand. The others left the medbay with varying degrees of reluctance, sensing that Kanan needed a moment. Kanan looked at his Padawan, really looked at him. The restraints on his wrists, the blood in his hair, and the self-inflicted wounds on his arms. Kanan felt his inadequacy, his compete failure to keep Ezra safe, pierce him like a blade. The image of his Padawan trying desperately to end his own life pressed at his mind, if he hadn't arrived when he did...

Kanan pushed the _what-if_ 's aside, there would be time to dwell on those later when he tried (and failed) to sleep. He settled in a chair next to the bed, placing a hand gently on Ezra's head. And for the first time since Ezra set foot on that ship, Kanan relaxed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, happiness! I hope you liked it :)


	5. Afterwards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week later, they are all still recovering.

It had been a week since the _Scholar Ling_ fiasco.

The artifact still haunted Ezra's mind. It wasn't the sort of thing that went away overnight. Ezra had temporarily traded his orange flight suit for a pair of brown pants and a green shirt, saying the orange reminded him too much of "the light." There were still nights Ezra woke up screaming, clawing at himself, and if Kanan appeared he would only make it worse.

It was tearing Kanan apart.

Zeb was never far from Ezra's side, and Chopper didn't shock him anymore. Hera's motherly touches had become more frequent, and Sabine went out of her way to be nice to Ezra. But he still wouldn't let Kanan near him, either glaring murderously or desperately ignoring him. It burned Kanan to be unable to help him, and he couldn't help but wonder for the hundredth time what Ezra had seen to cause his aversion to him.

These thoughts consumed Kanan as he tried unsuccessfully for the seventh night in a row to fall asleep. His mind was racing with plans, strategies, how to make Ezra well again, maybe a doctor-

He sensed someone outside his room, a skittish presence just on the other side of the door. Kanan waved his hand, opening the door. Ezra stood in the doorway, eyes widened at the unexpected movement. He looked like he was ready to bolt. Kanan gave what he hoped was a comforting smile, desperate not to drive Ezra away.

Ezra's luminous eyes stared intently into his. One hand had a death grip on the doorframe.

"You have eyes, that's good. It means you're probably real." Kanan had no idea what he was talking about, but if Ezra was finally starting to feel safe enough to seek him out then Kanan wasn't going to complain.

Kanan pulled the blankets down, an invitation. After a moment of hesitation, Ezra took it.

He climbed nervously into the bed, hesitating a moment before slowly burrowing into Kanan's side. Kanan felt acutely how small he was, how unbelievably tiny, all skin and bones. He felt protectiveness rise up in him, and he didn't even try to stop himself from wrapping a shielding arm around his Padawan. Ezra tensed, still hesitant to allow Kanan to touch him, but he didn't pull away.

It was the first time Ezra had let him near him in a week. Kanan hid his overwhelming joy from Ezra, not wanting him to run.

"Are you okay?" Kanan asked, hoping this wouldn't set Ezra off.

"It was raining." Ezra said quietly, ignoring his question, staring fixedly at the wall. He was tense, guarded. "There was static under my skin. And the voices seemed normal." He grasped Kanan's shirt tightly. "Every now and then you would show up and whisper something, or attack me. We'd fight and then you'd vanish and I'd realize that I was about to stab myself in the eye or something. You kept trying to carve out my eyes, I think it was because you didn't have any eyes yourself."

Kanan felt sick listening to what Ezra had gone through. Ezra said it all with no emotion but Kanan could sense the distress in him. Kanan pulled him closer, unable to do anything else.

"I'm so cold, Kanan." Ezra murmured. Without thinking, Kanan started rubbing Ezra's arms, trying to warm him.

"Ezra..." Kanan started "I am so, so sorry."

"For what?"

"For sending you in that ship. For not getting to you sooner. For causing all of thi-"

"Kanan." Ezra interrupted. "None of this was your fault. You saved me, you didn't let me go." Kanan's hands stilled.

"I would never let you get hurt." Kanan promised fiercely, pushing aside memories of Ezra's past injuries. "I promise, from here on out, I'll keep you safe. No one will hurt you, no one will dare."

"Kanan." Ezra interjected, as though he hadn't even heard Kanan. "If you hadn't found me when you did, I would be dead." The very idea sent a jolt down Kanan's spine, and he tightened his grip on Ezra, holding him close. Ezra rested his head on Kanan's chest, granting Kanan a small smile. One Kanan returned in earnest.

For the first time in a week, Ezra looked at him without fear.

For the first time in a week, Kanan slept peacefully.

The staticky feeling was almost gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done! I hope you all enjoyed the story, Ezra is going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> I played Dead Space and this happened, I'm sorry.


End file.
